Broken Secrets
by Angie J Trifid
Summary: Three princes set out to find wives, and three village girls are at risk of losing everything, including the very little money they have. Bad summary, bad title, but I couldn't think of anything else.
1. Too Good for Words

**A/N: Yes, I have a lot of stories going at the moment. But oh well. I like writing stories. This is based roughly off an AATC fan fiction I wrote a few weeks ago. But Ross Bagdasarian and Janice Karman own the characters; therefore I only own the story.**

**Chapter One: Too Good For Words**

It was a peaceful night – at first. In every small clay-and-wood house of the village a domestic scene revealed itself to any spectators.

In one small house, an old woman and a chipmunk girl, who could be no older than seventeen, were sitting in front of the fire place. The woman had her grey hair in a peculiar do, a dark dress and a small bow in her hair. Her feet were soaking in some warm water; she had been baking bread all day, with the help of her three adoptive daughters, two of whom were out fetching some more water.

The chipmunk girl, the middle child of Miss Beatrice Miller's adoptive daughters, was a tall brunette with green eyes and large glasses. Her hair was tied back in a loose, scruffy bun, using a purple ribbon which always hung loose. She had pale skin and a dark, muddy purple dress on. She was an intelligent girl and had taught herself to read, which was just what she was doing at that point in time.

"…too good for words!" squealed a high-pitched voice from outside the door, and the other two sisters came in, setting the water pale on the small table.

The eldest looked more like the middle child because her younger sister was taller than her. She had red hair in a neat ponytail and crystal-blue eyes. Her skin was evenly tanned and she was pretty much in love with herself. She wore a worn-out, flour-covered dark pink dress.

The youngest was the shortest, chubbiest sister. She had a slight tan and blonde hair about the shade of pale gold, always tied up in pigtails, along with brown eyes. She was a sport girl, even though in those times only men were allowed to take part in sporting events. She always wore a light, faded green dress that was often covered in baking ingredients.

Despite their last name, the Miller family did not work as millers, but as bakers. They enjoyed their work and baked well, and even though people bought what they made, they were only just managing to scrape by. Not to mention that theirs was the only family they knew in which there were no men.

The speaker had been Brittany, the eldest.

"What's too good for words?" the brunette sister asked.

"Well, it's like this, Jeanette…" the blonde sister, Eleanor, began.


	2. Princes shouldn't be Alone

**A/N: I only own the story.**

**Chapter Two: Princes shouldn't be Alone**

"You can't fight," the eldest brother, Alvin, said. He flicked a little dust off his royal red jacket and once again knocked the rapier from his brother's grip.

Simon, the tall middle child, picked the sword back up again and swung it over his royal blue-clothed back. "You are one crazy chipmunk, Alvin Seville." He readjusted his glasses and returned the weapon to its rightful place above the fireplace.

"And, oh brother of mine, you are no normal seventeen-year-old boy and you fight like a girl."

"Ha, ha," Simon remarked, his voice oozing with sarcasm. "Funny."

"You shouldn't be so mean," Theodore, the youngest, shortest and chubbiest of the brothers, told Alvin. He buttoned up his royal green jacket.

"Simon'll never get himself a wife fighting like that," Alvin said flatly.

"If I have to fight to prove myself to a girl, she isn't the one I want," Simon informed his brother.

"Or the one you'll get," Alvin added. "You realise you're the only one of all three of us who's never had a girlfriend? It's like Talbot says: princes shouldn't be alone."

"It suits me just fine," Simon retorted hotly. He stormed out.

"Dave will be six feet under by the time Simon's married," Alvin muttered.

"Dave'll be six feet under what?" Theodore asked, confused.

"Never mind," Alvin groaned.

Meanwhile, up in his drawing room, Dave (the King) was thinking something along the same lines. He turned to his squire.

"I don't know if you're right there," Dave said. "I don't want the boys to feel as though I'm pressuring them."

"You wanted to see them married, didn't you?" the squire asked. "And it's already arranged, isn't it? You might've told them sooner. It's too late to turn back now."

"You're right," Dave sighed. "First thing in the morning, I'll send them over to stay with Talbot."


	3. Arrival at Talbot's Manor

**A/N: I only own the story.**

**Chapter Three: Arrival at Talbot's Manor**

Brittany and Eleanor came rushing into the house. "You'll never believe it!" Brittany exclaimed. "Come and see, Jeanette!"

"No, thank you," Jeanette said flatly, but her sisters pulled her to her feet and dragged her outside, despite her struggling and protests.

They made it just in time to see the princes arrive in the village. Or, at least, for Brittany and Eleanor to see the princes arrive in the village. Jeanette was trying to figure out how to get back inside.

There were three princes; seventeen-year-old chipmunk boys. All three of them were absolutely gorgeous. **(A/N: well, aren't they? ;) )**

One of them was tall, with glasses and grey eyes, wearing a royal-blue jacket. Another was about medium-size, with blue eyes and a royal-red jacket that had a giant yellow letter A on the front. The other one was short and chubby, greyish green-eyed and wearing a royal-green jacket.

"Wow," Brittany and Eleanor sighed. Jeanette, on the other hand, was still trying to sneak back in to the house. Brittany caught her by the arm and pointed to the one with the glasses. "What d'you think, Jeanette? Looks about your type, doesn't he?"

Jeanette looked in the direction her sister was pointing in. Yes, he was very good looking, and yes, he was _exactly_ Jeanette's type, but he was in a different class and a different league to her. She wouldn't stand a chance against one of the princesses he'd be marrying.

The princes, sitting on the back of three tired horses, were examining the crowd.

"Hey, look at those three," Alvin said, nodding towards three chipmunk girls about their age. "Cute, huh?"

"For once I agree with you, Alvin," Simon said.

"Yeah," Theodore agreed.

_*****Later that night*****_

Sir Talbot's manor was in the dead centre of the village. It was a grand, stately home with large gardens surrounded by high stone walls covered in climbing ivy.

"I love this place!" Alvin exclaimed, running around the entrance hall like a maniac.

"When you've finished doing the Headless Chicken Dance," Simon said impatiently through gritted teeth.

Sir Talbot, a tall, well-muscled man with deep red hair and thick eyebrows, had a servant lead the boys to their room and told them that a couple of suitors would be arriving tomorrow.

Alvin was standing on the balcony, looking up at the moon for some unknown reason, when he spotted three figures walking past the garden walls.

"Hey, guys!" he said quietly. "It's those chipmunk girls."

Alvin pulled on a travelling cloak with a hood that hid his face and grabbed a pair of shoes.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Simon asked.

"Where do you think I'm going?" Alvin asked, and he dropped off the balcony.

"We'd better go after him," Simon sighed.


	4. Night Time Encounter

**A/N: I don't own AATC. Please check out my new crossover, **_**The Chipmunks at Hogwarts: The Philosopher's Stone**_**.**

**Chapter Four: Night-Time Encounter**

The three sisters turned the corner next to the walled garden of the huge manor. Their house was almost in sight, just a little farther…

A cloaked, hooded figure came out the shadows and grabbed Brittany's arm.

"Well, who do we have here?" asked the figure in a high-pitched voice. "You're very pretty, aren't you?"

Brittany tried to pull herself free and her sisters tried to help, but the figure held on tight to Brittany's arm. Looking round wildly for help, Jeanette noticed two other figures in the shadows and almost screamed – but the tallest figure clasped a hand over her mouth and kicked the figure that had grabbed Brittany. The figure yelped and let go of her.

"Sorry about my brother," the tall figure told Jeanette. "He tends to suffer from three incurable diseases: stupidity, overconfidence and forwardness."

Jeanette nodded knowingly and pulled the person's hand away from her mouth.

"What the hell'd you do _that_ for!" demanded the figure who'd grabbed Brittany, still clutching his hurt leg.

"Because you're a moron," the figure said. Then he turned to Jeanette. "That one _can_ be cured, but unfortunately my brother is too cocky to bother trying. But – though it kills me to admit it – he's right. You are _very_ pretty."

"Will you stop trying to flirt, Simon?" the figure who'd been classified as having three incurable diseases said. Then he gasped. "Oops."

"You _idiot_!" exclaimed the tall figure. "You complete _moron_! If these girls find out – if Talbot finds out – Dave's going to _kill_ us!"

Jeanette's mind slowly started taking in what was being said. She gasped. "Oh my God – you're –"

The tall figure threw off the hood he was wearing to reveal the handsome face of Prince Simon.

"Please don't tell anyone," he begged. "Please? If anybody finds out we were outside the manor…"

Jeanette nodded. "Okay, we won't tell."

"Thank you, so much," said the prince, and he pulled Jeanette into a fierce hug.

Brittany and the figure who'd been arguing with Prince Simon started laughing at Jeanette's startled expression. The figure pulled back his hood to show Prince Alvin's face.

"You can laugh," said the third person, who was still hiding in the shadows. He stepped into the light, hood down, and none of the girls were surprised to see that it was Prince Theodore. He turned to Eleanor and said, "Hi, I'm Theodore."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Eleanor," Eleanor said, shaking hands with him and patting him on the back. "And ignore Brittany; she laughs at everyone, for every little reason."

"Brittany, eh?" Prince Alvin asked. "That's a hot name; it suits you."

"You really think so?" Brittany batted her eyelashes.

"Weren't you all keen to get away from him a minute ago?" Eleanor teased, as Prince Simon released Jeanette, looking really embarrassed.

"Sorry about that…" he muttered.

"That's okay," Jeanette said shyly.

"Wow, Jeanette, don't you normally _hate_ that sort of thing?" Brittany laughed. Jeanette rolled her eyes. "Go to hell, Britt."

"That's a very nice name," the bespectacled prince told Jeanette, who blushed and smiled.

Prince Alvin spotted a light in the manor. "We've got to go!" he exclaimed. He kissed Brittany on the cheek and stole away over the wall.

"Sorry to leave so soon," Prince Simon muttered. "But the moron's going to need our help." He gently pressed the back of Jeanette's hand to his lips and jumped over the wall, too.

"I'd better go with them," Prince Theodore sighed. He kissed Eleanor on the forehead and climbed over the wall.

The girls were left staring, love-struck and slightly confused, at three blank spaces where the princes had been.


End file.
